Adhesive label dispenser



April 21, 1959 L. w. KEN BRICK 2,883,044

ADHESIVE LABEL DISPENSER Filed Oct. 24, 1958 immm www@ mi@ 5.- FIG. I

INVENTOR. l LAURENCE W. KENDRICK BY 0%, arfamfzo/dzz TTGRN EYS ilnitedStates Patent ADHESIVE LABEL DISPENSER Laurence W. Kendrick, Waltham,Mass. Application October 24, 1958, Serial No. 769,420

12 Claims. (Cl. 20G-S6) This invention relates to a combination ofpressure sensitive labels with a dispenser mounting therefor. It residesmore specifically in a series of pliant yet-somewhat stiif adhesivebacked labels in separable pressure sensitive adhesive contact with areleasably surfaced and slit carrier having a eXible hinge formingmaterial attached to the back side bridging the slits. The slits dividethe carrier into strips and each label overlays a slit with a small tabend on one side of the slit and the major portion on the other side.Cuts are provided through the label stock between each label, said cutssubstantially overlaying the carrier slits. The cohesion in shear of thelabel material is greater than the adhesion in shear provided by theadhesive between the small tab end of each label and the strip of thecarrier to which it is secured. The stiffness of the label materialresists bending of the label over the slit and thereby exerts areleasing force on the tab end when adjacent carrier .strips are rotatedrearwardly with respect to each other. Consequently, by rotating saidcarrier strips rearwardly with respect to each other to thereby exert ashearing force on the adhesive between the tab end and its strip and abendforwardly and backwardly to break the card along the partly scoredline, one portion of the card subsequently being peeled olf rearwardlyto expose the minor portion of the first few of the labels or peeledentirely off to expose the minor portions of an entire row of labels. Inthe latter case the subsequent protection of the minor portions of theunwanted labels is left to the return of some loose type of backing.

By the use of the present invention all of a row of pressure sensitiveadhesive labels are made immediately available for selective removalWithout any difcult manipulations and without the necessity of tearingthe backing and the unused labels are readily protected for later use.These factors are particularly important when the labels are in the formof letters or numbers to be used y for making signs or the like whereselection of the proper shape is essential and there will likely be asurplus of unused labels left on any of the rows or series ofcharacters.

The invention is hereinafter described by reference to the accompanyingdrawing which forms apart hereof,

in which there is set forth by way of illustration and not ing force onthe label through the adhesive, the adhesive i between the tab end andits carrier strip yields in shear and the strip moves in shear withrelation to the tab end to thereby weaken the adhesive bond between thetab end and carrier strip sufficiently so that the resistance to bendingof the label over the slit overcomes the weakened adhesive bond torelease the tab end from its strip, whereupon the tab end snaps back tosubstantially the plane of the major portion of the label secured to theother strip and can be readily grasped for the purpose of removing thelabel from the carrier for placement elsewhere.

In certain cases, the gap between the top edges of each slit when thestrips formed by such slit are rotated rearwardly a substantial distanceis greater than the dimension of the tab end of the label in a directiontransverse to the slit. With such an arrangement, if the resistance tobending of the label material is not suicient to overcome the weakenedbond and release the tab end, continued rotation of the carrier stripscauses the gap between the top edges of the slit to become greater thanthe dimension of the tab end in the direction transverse to the slit,whereupon such tab end is released from the strip to which it issecured.

By rotating the carrier strips back to original position, rebonding ofthe tab ends of the unused labels to the carrier strip occurs to protecttheir adhesive from deleterious effects of air and to protect them fromdistortion in handling.

Heretofore pressure sensitive adhesive labels have been furnished to theuser mounted either on a backing of paper, from which they are peeledwith some diculty as ,stripsfS and which acts as a hinge 6a oflimitation certain forms in which the dispenser of this invention may beembodied and in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one form penser of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view in elevation of the dispenser shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view taken along the line 3 3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is like Fig. 3 showing progressive steps in the release of thetab ends of the labels.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a fragment of the dispenser shown inFig. 1 showing the final position of the rotated carrier strip exposingthe tab ends of a series of labels for complete removal from all of thecarrier.v

Fig. 6 is a View taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. l.

Referring now to the drawing, a dispenser is there shown made up of acarrier 1 to which a series of separate pressure sensitive adhesivelabels 2 is secured. The carrier 1 is formed for purposes to be morefully described hereinafter of a resilient but dense material such as,for example, sheet vulcanized bre, phenolaldehyderesin bonded fibrepulp, homogeneous pyroxylin or other plastic of similar physicalproperties or any similar material including dense paper of suflicientthickness with a surface from which the adhesive label will not removesurface fibers or delaminate the paper, in some cases densilied bymaterials which will not migrate into the adhesive layer to itsdetriment such as zinc chloride or some of the silicones. The carrier 1is relatively stiif compared to the label material and is substantiallythicker than the label material.

As appears more clearly in Fig. 3 the labels 2 are provided with apressure sensitive adhesive coating 3 of rubber and resin combination orthe like which is in adhesive contact with the carrier 1 thus serving tomaintain the labels 2 in their intended display position on the topsurface of carrier 1. Before applying the label stock 4 to the carrier 1the carrier 1 is slit at 4a completely into two or more strips 5 and isbrought together again by a sheet of ilexible hinge forming material 6such as cellophane pressure sensitive adhesive tape, or a pressuresensitive adhesive tape of cellulose acetate or mylar, which isadhesively secured to the lower sides of the several carrier (see Fig.4) about which adjacent strips 5 can rotate rearwardly with respect toeach other.

Following this a sheet of conventional label stock 4 of various grades,including, but not limited to,` crepe paper, polyvinyl resin and otherso-called label stock, all having an application of conventionalpressure sensitive adhesive of' aber dison one side,vis applied to thetop side of the reassembled carrier 1 and characters 2 such as lettersand/or numbers are die cut by forcing a sharp edged die conforming tothe shape required through` the label stock 4 and its ad.- hesivecoating-3 andinto but not. through carrier 1. Additionallcuts` 7 arealso made in the portions 10. of. the label material. 4. between eachlabel. Cuts 7 substantially overlay the.slits:4a of. carrier Las'shown:inFig. 6, `to facilitate thezrotationV ofthe carrier strips 5 andtoassure that, only thelabel tabs or tips 8' stand out whenadjacentcarrier strips 5 are rotated rearwardly, withrespect to eachother to release the tab ends as described hereinafter. These cuts.7 donotquite extend to the cuts ofA the. labels and consequently there is asmall uncut gap 1.4v between, the endsof each cut 7 and the adjacentcutsof the two labels between whichthe cut extends. These gaps aid in hold,-ing thev parts together but they are easilyv torn when adjacent strips5` are. rotated rearwardly with respect to each otherI as describedhereinafter.

The. pressure sensitive adhesive 3 onx the labels is of a conventional.type permitting the labels 2 to be peeledV olf from the carrier 1. Suchadhesive may range from solventecl rubber and rubber-resin combinationto synthetic chemicalsof a tacky character.

The labels are in parallel rows and each label of each row bridges aslit 4a in the carrier with a tabend or tip of smallA area 8 extendingfrom one side of theA slit 4a. andsecured to-one of the strips Siof thecarrier formed by such slit' and with the major portion 9 of thelabelextending from the opposite side ofthe slit and secured to the'other strip 5\of the carrier formed by such slit 4a.

Thelabel material 4 and the backing sheet 64 hold the strips 5 of thecarrier together as shown in Fig. 3.

The area of the tab or tip end 8 of each label 2 is selected so that theadhesive force in shear supplied by adhesive 3 between tip 8 and thestrip 5to which it is` secured is' less than the cohesion (resistance totearing and' stretching)` in shear ofthe labelI material so that whenadjacent strips S of the. carrier are rotated rearwardly with respect toeachi other,v as shown in Fig. 4, the shearing force exertedv onadhesive 3 bythe strip 5 to which the tab 8 s'securedkwill cause theadhesive between 8 and its strip 5" to yield'v and the strip moves inshear with respect to tab 8, as; shown' in Fig. 4, whereby such tab 8'commences to-be-pulled oli its strip. The yielding of the adhesive andtheconsequent movement ofthe strip with respect' to the tab\ end 8'weakens the adhesive bond between tab 8 and itsr carrier strip. Theforces applied by the rotation of adjacent strips asaforesaid'do notcause the portion 9 of the label tomove withk respect to its strip 5because the area of 9-is relatively large comparedwith the area ofS'solthat the adhesive` force holding 9 toits strip is much greater thanthaty holding 8 to` its strip. Consequently, it is the adhesion between8l and its strip which yields and not the adhesion between` 9 and itsstrip.

Phe cohesion which is' referred to above refers to the forces holdingthe label material together against tearing and stretching.` Sincethecohesionh or resistance to tearingf and` stretching iss greater thanvthe adhesion of tab 8 to\ itsV strip, it is this adhesion which willyield rather than the striplitself.

The above mentioned cohesion and` stitness of the labelmaterial resistsbending-of thev label over slit. 4a (Fig. 4")l caused bythe rotation ofstrips 5. This resistance to bending. exerts a release force on the tabend 8' when the strips are thus rotated. This release force l'inallyovercomes the weakened' adhesive bond between the tab end 8\ and itsstrip- 5 as the strips continue to be-rotated' and the vtab'endis'-released fromv its strip and snaps back to the plane of the` majorportion 9 secured'to the other strip. lin` the event thisl resistance tobending is insuiicient to overcome the weakened adhesive bond" between.8 and its strip' 5" continued rearward rotation of the `strips S withrespect to,v each other continues to pull the tab 8 from 4its strip asabove described, until the gap betweenA the top edges 12 (see Fig. 4) ofthe strips becomes greater than the dimension of the tab end 8 in adirection transverse to the strip (the distance tab extends beyond slit4a when the parts are in the positions shown in Fig. 3) whereupon thetab 8 -is pulled completely olf its strip and is thereby released andthe stiifness of the label causes tab end 8 now released from its stripto snap back to substantially the plane of portion 9 so that' it can-bereadily grasped by the tingers to p ull the label oif'from' the strip 5to which 9 is secured.

The abovev mentioned gap between the top edge of adjacent strips 5 isvachieved by selecting the proper total thickness of the carrier 1 andbacking strip 6 as compared to the dimension` of 81 in the directionltransverse to the slit 4a. Such a gap is assured if the combinedthickness of the carrier 1 and backing sheet 6 is more than one half thedimension but such thickness can be less if the label material is ofstijf enough material so that the resistance to bending` of the labelover the-slit 4a is sucient to overcome the weakened adhesive bondbetween tab end S and its strip S to release the: tab end 8 when theadjacent strips are rotated.. rearwardly about their hinge connectiononly slightly to relative positions in which the. gap is less than theabove `mentioned dimension.

The smaller the areaof tab end 8 thevless is the total adhesive forcebetween it and` its strip and hence the easier it is to releasethe tabend. Preferably such area should bethe smallest, area which isconsistent with the desired label dimensions and which permits it to begrasped by the tingers. Preferably the dimension of the tab area 8 invadirection transverse to the slit (this dimension deter mines the areafor a. label of any particular size) should be the smallest dimensionwhich will permit the tab end to be grasped', by the lingers. In thisway the label material does nothave to be very stiff to overcome theadhesion.k between the tab end and its strip because the total adhesionbetween the tab endandl its strip is small and because bending ofthelabel is more dicult close to its edge than at a more intermediateportion.

While in the drawing the thickness of materials has been exaggerated byreason ofthe limitations of pen and ink drafting methods, it will' beunderstood that the materials shown in actual use are no thicker thanthey need be to perform their intendedfunction thus the label stock 4Ymay vary from .001 to .012V inch or more in thickness, the carrier 1 mayvary from .003 to .040 inch or more in thickness andthe exible hingeforming material 6 may be on the ord'er. of .003 inch in thickness. Theexposed tab end' 8' of. the labels released as described above may beYapproximately ,gto 9764 inch in extension or substantially one thirdofthe width of such tab end such as the upper line of the letter E orthe upper portion of the numeralv 7. It'may be convenient to apply arelease surfacedpaper or lm adhered to the topsurface of carrier 1Yandunder' the label stock 4` before slitting both carrier 1" andsaid'rel'ea'se surface paper or film to provide a better releasel of`the pressure sensitive adhesive 3.

Practically any conventional label stock can be used in the presentinvention. Such stock varies from paper and vinyl sheets to metal, rigidplastic and impregnated cloth. If thestock has a low cohesion and a lowstitness and is' easily torn or stretched, then the area of tab 8 andthe dimension of tab 8` extending in a direction transverse to the slitshould be kept at a minimum and a pres sure sensitive adhesive of. lowstrength should be used so that the total adhesion between the tab 8 andits carrier' is very small; Furthermore, the stiffness and resistance totearing and stretching ofthe label stock can be increasedv byincreasingthe thickness of the stock. Where the stockis stitt'er and'stronger and is not easily stretched, whichl is true of mostconventional label stock, as for example, most paper and resin stocksand conventional adhesive tapes, a stronger adhesive can be used and thearea of tabY 8 can be greater. The maximum area of tab 8 and the maximumdimension of tab 8 in a direction transverse to the slit and the properpressure sensitive' adhesive required for any particular label stock toassure release of the tab ends 8 by rotation of the carrier strips 5 canbe readily ascertained by persons skilled in the art after having beentaught the principle of the present invention.

Suitable carrier materials are described in U. S. Patents Nos.2,434,545, 2,681,732 and 2,831,277.

Suitable release films which may be adhered to the top l surface of thecarrier to provide a better release of the pressure sensitive adhesive 3are described in U. S. Patents Nos. 2,831,277 and 2,679,928.

The word label as used in the claims includes alabel of any shape, suchas a letter or figure.

The label material or stock may be applied to the carrier in a number ofways as for example coating pressure sensitive adhesive onto the slit orunslit carrier and then coating or otherwise applying over this after orbefore slitting, a material to form the label stock, or printing theadhesive and then over this printing the label forming material withvinyl or other ink in the shape of the desired label on the carrier.

Instead of leaving uncut gaps 14'to hold the assembly together this canbe done by slightly offsetting each cut 7 between the labels from itscarrier slit in the direction of the carrier having large areas 9 of thelabels adhered thereto, so that the label forming material between thelabels and adjacent one side of the cut 7 is adhered across the slit andin hinging stands out a bit on the carrier strip to which the smallareas 8 were adhered, out of the way of the labels, which stand out onthe other carrier strip.

Although in the embodiment shown in the drawing the carrier is stiicompared to the label stock which is an adhesive tape, and is thickerthan the label stock, the label stock might very well be metal or othermaterial as stil or stiffer than the carrier, and be thicker than thecarrier, as heavy cardboard.

I claim:

l. In combination a label and label dispenser comprising a carrier, aslit in the upper face of said carrier separating said carrier intostrips, means on the lower face of said carrier and bridging said slitto hingedly secure said strips for relative rearward rotation withrespect to each other, a label releasably secured by pressure sensitiveadhesive to the upper surface of said carrier and bridging said slit,said label havng a small end area extending from one side of said slitand adhesively secured to one of said strips adjacent said slit and alarge end area extending from the opposite side of said slit and securedto the other strip adjacent to said slit, the adhesion in shear providedby said adhesive between said small end area and its strip being lessthan the cohesion of said label material in shear, whereby when saidstrips are rotated rearwardly to apply a shearing force on said adhesiveand said small end area of said label, the adhesve between said smallend area and the strip to which it is secured yields in shear and saidlast mentioned strip on which the small end of the label is securedmoves in shear relative to said small end area against the adhesiveforce in shear exerted by said adhesive, the resistance to bending ofthe label over said slit being greater than the adhesion of saidadhesive after said adhesive yields and said movement occurs to therebyovercome said adhesion and release said small area from the strip towhich it is adhered in response to further relative rearward rotation ofsaid strips, said small area being large enough to be grasped by thelingers to peel the label off the strip to which the large end issecured after said small area is released from its strip.

2. A label dispenser according to claim l, said label forming a part ofa sheet cut to form a row of said labels, said slit in said carrierextending through the thickness of said carrier to form said strips,said hinge means comprising a sheet of exible hinge forming materialadhesively secured to the lower surface of said carrier and bridgingsaid slit.

3. A label4 dispenser according to claim 2, said sheet of labels havingcuts extending between the labels, said cuts being substantiallyparallel with and substantially overlying said slit in said carrier.

4. A label dispenser according to claim 3, the ends of said lastmentioned cuts falling short of the label cuts between which said lastmentioned cuts extend.

5. A label dispenser according to claim l, the dimension of said smallarea in a direction transverse to the slit being less than the maximumgap formed between the top edges of said slit upon continued relativeand rearward rotation of said strips.

6. In combination a label and label dispenser comprising a carrier, aslit in the upper face of said carrier separating said carrier intostrips, means on the lower face of said carrier and bridging said slitto hingedly secure said strips for relative rearward rotation withrespect to each other, a label releasably secured by pressure sensitiveadhesive to the upper surface of said carrier and bridging-said slit,said label having a small end area extending from one side of said slitand adhesively secured to one of said strips adjacent to said slit and alarge end area extending from the opposite side of said slit andadhesively secured to the other strip adjacent to said slit, the totaladhesion in shear provided by said adhesive between said small end areaand its strip being less than the cohesion of said label material inshear, whereby when said strips are rotated rearwardly to apply ashearing force to said adhesive and said small end area of said label,the adhesive between said small end area and the strip to which it issecured yields in shear and said last mentioned strip to which the smallend of the label is secured moves in shear relative to said small endarea against the adhesive force in shear exerted by said adhesive andsaid small end area is thereby released from its carrier strip.

7. A label dispenser according to claim 6, said label forming a part ofa sheet cut to form a row of said labels, said slit in said carrierextending through the thickness of said carrier to form said strips,said hinge means comprising a sheet of flexible hinge forming materialadhesively secured to the lower surface of said carrier and bridgingsaid slit.

8. A label dispenser according to claim 7, said sheet of labels havingcuts extending between the labels, said cuts being substantiallyparallel with and substantially overlying said slit in said carrier.

9. A label dispenser according to claim 8, the ends of said lastmentioned cuts falling short of the label cuts between which said lastmentioned cuts extend.

I0. In combination a label and label dispenser comprising a carrier, aslit in the upper face of said carrier separating said carrier intostrips, means on the lower face of said carrier and bridging said slitto hingedly secure said strips for relative rearward rotation withrespect to each other, a label releasably secured by pressure sensitiveadhesive to the upper surface of said carrier and bridging said slit,said label having a small end area extending from one side of said slitand adhesively secured to one of said strips adjacent to said slit and alarge end area extending from the opposite side of said slit andadhesively secured to the other strip adjacent to said slit, the totaladhesion in shear provided by said adhesive between said small end 'areaand its strip being less than the cohesion of said label material inshear and the dimension of said small area in a direction transverse tothe slit being less than the maximum gap between the top edges of saidslit produced when said strips are rotated rearwardly with respect toeach other about said hinge means, whereby when said strips are thusrotated rearwardly to apply 'a shearing force to said adhesive and saidsmall end area of said label, the adhesive between said small end areaand the strip to which it is secured yields in shear and said lastmentioned strip to which the small `end of the label is securedasse-,044

moves in shear relativel toy said smallv end area against theLadhesiveforcein shear-exerted by said adhesive and said smallend areaisreleased from itscarrier strip.

11. A label and label' dispenser comprising a series of dispensablymounted pressuresensitive adhesive labels, a carrier having an upperSurface capable of releasing pressure sensitive adhesive, one or moreslits extending completely through said carrier and separating it intotwo or morestrips, a sheet of flexible hinge forming material adhesivelysecuredy to the-lower surface of! said carrier strips and bridging saidslit: to hingedly secure said strips -for relative rearwardrotation withrespect to each other, and a sheet of label framing material releasablysecured by pressure sensitive adhesive to the upper release surfacesl ofsaid carrier strips, said label material being cut to form said seriesAof lsubstantially parallel labels, each of said labels having 'a veryysmall end area extending from one sideof said slit and a very largevrend area extending from the opposite side of said slit, said small endarea being small enough whereby it maybe separated from the releasesurface of the underlying carrier initially byk weakening the grasp ofthe pressure sensitive adhesive by shear and eventually by the slightstiffness of the label when the carrier strips are rotated rearwardlyrelative to each other about the hinge formed by said hinge material andlarge enough whereby iti may be gripped 'byl the fingers of the user toremovethe larger endarea of the label from the release surface of theother'carrier strip by tension.

12. The combination of claim 11, wherein said labels are cut in theformofcharacters and said label form ing material? is formed with aseries of aligned spaced cuts, eachofi saidL- cuts being locatedsubstantially above the carrier slit and substantially extending betweenthe label cuts which form adjacent characters, whereby the label formingmaterial between the characters is separatedy at said cam-ier slits whenthe carrier strips are rotatedll relativeV to each other about the hingeformed by said hinge forming material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

